TROVILLO J. WEDDELL. The man who has made a success of his life and won the honor and esteem of his fellow citizens deserves more than passing notice. The subject of this sketch, who is now spending the golden sunset years of his life in comfortable retirement in Monongahela, had a long, active and useful career in the business activities of his community, and the success which crowned hislabors was well deserved, for he exercised sound judgment and wise discrimination in his affairs and earned the respect and esteem of all who have known him.
Trovillo J. Weddell was born in Rostraver township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of January, 1844, and is the son of Jesse and Sarah (Weaver) Weddell. His father was a native of the same locality and was born January 6, 1816. He engaged in farming during his active years and his death occurred in Nebraska, April 23, 1888. Politically he was a republican and he represented Westmoreland county in the state legislature in 1855, also holding a number of local offices. He was a member and deacon of the Baptist church. He moved to Nebraska in 1880 and spent the remainder of his life there, and there he and his wife are buried. He was the son of Joseph Prichard and Sarah (Scott) Weddell, the former of whom was born in Rostraver township, Westmoreland county, March 17, 1779, and died there April 12, 1871, at the age of ninety-two years. He was a farmer by vocation, a Baptist in his religious faith, and a democrat in politics, having held a number of local offices. His wife was born in Elizabeth township, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, April 10, 1783, and died at the Weddell homestead in Rostraver township, December 15, 1842.
Joseph P. Weddell was the son of Peter and Lydia (Prichard) Weddell, the former of whom was born in 1741 and died in October, 1786. At the age of sixteen years, in the spring of 1757, two years after Braddock's defeat, in company with his father, George Weddell, he came across the mountains from Hagerstown, Maryland, and settled in what is now Rostraver township. There were also in the party his three brothers, John, George and Daniel, and Mary, George's wife. After building the cabin, in the spring immediately after their arrival, the father and three brothers returned to Maryland, leaving Peter and a boy companion to take charge of the premises during the winter. They subsisted on the corn they had raised, the game they managed to kill and an abundance of fish which they caught, and they did not see another human being until the spring of the following year, when their people returned. Later Peter secured a patent to an adjoining farm and on this place his descendants lived until recent years. One of Peter's sons, Peter Martin Weddell, went to Cleveland, Ohio, became a multimillionaire through his investments in real estate and built the Weddell Hotel, one of the finest hotels in the country. Peter Weddell, Sr., was a soldier in the Continental army during the war of the Revolution. Sarah Weaver was born at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 10, 1823, and her death occurred at Ashland, Nebraska, June 10, 1896. She was the daughter of Jacob and Mary (Thompson) Weaver, the former of whom was born August 7, 1783, and died December 15, 1851. He resided first in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, but later moved to Pittsburgh, and his death occurred in Rostraver township, Westmoreland county. He was a tanner by trade and was a veteran of the War of 1812. He was a whig in politics and a Baptist in his religious faith. His wife, who was born December 13, 1785, was the daughter of Colonel William Thompson, a colonel in the Revolutionary war and who was married to Mary Reed.
Trovillo J. Weddell secured his educational training in the public schools of Rostraver township and in West Newton Academy. He then read law under the direction of the late Judge James A. Hunter and was admitted to the bar in 1868. He subsequently engaged in the practice of law, which he continued until 1874, when he became teller and book-keeper of the People's Bank of Monongahela, where he remained for eight years. Thereafter for a number of years he devoted his attention and energies to farming and finally became associated with the American Window Glass Company at Monongahela, with which he remained for about thirteen years, or until his retirement from active business in 1925. Politically Mr. Weddell has been a lifelong supporter of the republican party and for many years has been a member and deacon of the Baptist church in Monongahela. He is a man of remarkable energy and alert mentality for one of his years and still takes a keen interest in public affairs and the welfare of his community. His career has been characterized by persistent and indefatigable industry, directed and controlled by sound business judgment and wise discrimination, and no man in this entire community holds a higher place in the confidence and esteem of the people than he.
Mr. Weddell has been twice married, first to Miss Arabella Wall, of Forward township, who was born June 22, 1846, and died May 11, 1874. To this union was born a son, Joseph Wall Weddell, of Denver, Colorado, who was married to Miss Ethel Vance, of Ashland, Nebraska, and they have two children, Trovillo and Arabella. On November 29, 1877, Mr. Weddell was married to Miss Margaret Jane Sampson, who was born July 5, 1849, the daughter of James and Mary (Grant) Sampson. Her father was born in North Rostraver township, February 5, 1806, and died at Charleroi, Pennsylvania, in 1894. He followed farming as his principal vocation and was president of the People's Bank from its organization in 1870 until its reorganization in 1885. He was a member of the Presbyterian church: His wife was born in Carroll township, Washington county, in 1812, and died in that township in March, 1888. Mrs. Weddell was educated in the public schools of Carroll township and in the Southwestern State Normal School at California. She is an active member of the First Presbyterian church, is a republican in her political allegiance and belongs to the Mothers Club and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
To Mr. and Mrs. Weddell have been born three children: James A., born October 29, 1878, was graduated from the Monongahela high school in 1895, after which he spent a year in the Pittsburgh Academy. He then entered Washington and Jefferson College, from which he was graduated in 1901 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He is now employed by the United States Steel Corporation as construction engineer at its Donora plant. On August 18, 1904, he was married to Miss Sara E. White, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, and they are the parents of two children-James Crawford, born May 21, 1910; and Arthur, born August 14, 1912. Jessie Sampson, born at Monongahela, was graduated from the public schools of this city and also from Washington Seminary. She then took a special course in art at the School of Design, Pittsburgh, and is now teaching art in the Monongahela public schools. She is a member of the Delta Gamma Sigma sorority, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Friday Conversation Club and the Monongahela Valley Club. Mary was graduated from the Monongahela high school, attended Washington Seminary, from which she was graduated in 1908, and is now living at home. She belongs to the Phi Sigma Chi, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Friday Conversation Club and the Monongahela Valley Club.